This invention relates to valves and has particular reference to beverage dispense valves known as bar guns.
Bar guns are flexible hoses terminating in a dispense head having a number of buttons thereon. Both still and carbonated water is fed to the head along the flexible stem. A number of syrups or concentrates are also fed along the stem. By selectively pressing the individual buttons on the bar gun head, valves are opened to permit the flow of concentrate and diluent to form the post mix drink.
Such bar guns are described in a number of prior patents.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,937,792, there is described a soda dispensing device in which the valves for controlling liquids are arranged axially along the length of the handle of the tubes and are controlled indirectly by means of a curved lever.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,144,967, again the valves are arranged axially along the length of the handle, and in this case are controlled by a series of buttons which act indirectly on the valves by means of angled levers hinged to the head of the bar gun.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,168,967, the bar gun incorporates a series of valves arranged transverse to the handle, but operated principally by means of levers hinged to the bar gun head.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,241,720 is principally concerned with electrical control circuitry for bar dispensers incorporating membrane switches which are actuated when the soda buttons are pressed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,805 again provides for indirect operation of the valves controlling the flow of beverages by means of levers which when depressed result in lifting of the valves to open the beverage flow paths. The levers are arranged further down the handle than the head of the bar gun.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,703,187 relates to a bar gun of a laminated type in which the laminated layers are sealed together by means of gaskets with rods for disengaging the gasket portions and permitting flow, the rods of the water valves being actuated by push buttons while the rods of the syrup valves are actuated by the pressure of water flowing through the corresponding water valves.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,810 describes a bar gun which is of the laminated type and in which the soda under pressure enters the gun at the lower most layer, leaving via the exit point in the layer above. The syrup enters the gun at the upper most layer leaving via the layer below. The body of the head of the gun incorporates a series of `0` rings which seal against a movable piston rod actuated directly by a button under the control of a digit, normally the thumb, of an operator. The piston rod is relieved at portions along its length so that on displacement downwards, the syrup inlet is connected to the syrup outlet and the soda inlet is connected to the soda outlet. The bar gun described in this patent appears to bear the closest similarity to the bar gun of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,028 is concerned with a beverage dispense system incorporating not only soda mixes, but also spirits as well. The invention is concerned with a dispense system which may readily be computerised.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,421 describes a mechanical post-mix bar gun in which the common soda and/or water valve is automatically actuated upon actuation of any of the syrup valves to provide the soda water syrup mixture.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,378 is also a laminated type structure intended to be manufactured on a smaller scale than earlier bar guns.
UK patent specification No. 1 325 514 is a convention application based on U.S. patent Ser. No. 97220 and appears to correspond exactly in inventive concept and disclosure to U.S. Pat. No. 3,703,187, the contents of which are noted above.